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Steve Alexander

The Daily Dose

Dose: Waiters Explosion

There were eight games on the schedule Monday night and some dynamic performances, including an explosion from rookie Dion Waiters.

Knicks Beat Sixers

Knicks starter Ronnie Brewer somehow had a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three 3-pointers at small forward, but I’m not buying him at this point. Jason Kidd fell back to earth with just three points, four rebounds and two assists, and as his past owners know, you have to expect nights like these just as often as the good ones. J.R. Smith came through with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, a block and two 3-pointers, and is approaching must-own status, despite coming off the bench.

Evan Turner bounced back with 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists and could be available in your league. Just keep in mind his surge was related to the fact Jason Richardson was out with a sprained ankle. That also led to a big night for Dorell Wright, who started and had 14 points, nine boards, a block and a couple 3-pointers, despite hitting just 4-of-14 shots. Spencer Hawes has quickly fallen back to earth after a big opening night and had just two points, seven boards and zero blocks in 21 minutes. Maybe he was intimidated by Tyson Chandler, who wasn’t at full strength, or maybe he was in shock that he came off the bench behind Kwame Brown (who exited with a calf injury and didn’t return). Hawes has the potential for a big game every night, but has never been consistent enough to be a reliable starter. And things will get even more clouded when Andrew Bynum is back.

Wolves Down Nets

Nikola Pekovic bounced back with 21 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Andrei Kirilenko added 16 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, a steal, four blocks and a 3-pointer for the Wolves. He is really looking like the Kirilenko we all remember from four years ago, meaning he’s going to be one of the steals in fantasy if he stays healthy all year. J.J. Barea played through a head injury and had six points and six assists, Dante Cunningham double-doubled with 11 points and 11 rebounds (I’m ignoring him for now), and Chase Budinger finally showed up with 16 points, six rebounds and two 3-pointers on 7-of-10 shooting. He’s been highly disappointing after a great training camp and will not shoot it this well on most nights. I’m in the process of dropping Bud in several leagues, despite the nice night. And don’t look now, as the Wolves are 2-1 without Kevin Love.

The Nets got nice games out of Joe Johnson, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, while Kris Humphries’ swoon continued. He had just two points and four rebounds in 23 minutes while Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche ate up 35 minute off the bench. Humps has a total of seven points and nine rebounds through two games, so bench him until he figures things out or this becomes a full-blown trend. Gerald Wallace missed this one with a sprained ankle and remains day-to-day.

Suns Cooled By Heat

Jared Dudley played poorly for the fourth straight game and is being dropped in a ton of leagues right now. I might drop him too, but I still expect him to be putting up good numbers sooner than later. Shannon Brown had 18 points and three 3-pointers off the bench and would likely be the guy to replace Dudley in the starting five if the Suns make a move. Michael Beasley has been hit or miss early in the season and hit just 3-of-13 shots for seven points last night, but I’m holding onto him as long as the Suns still have some faith in him.

Mario Chalmers almost double-doubled with nine points, 11 assists, three steals and three 3-pointers, and Ray Allen came through again for the Heat with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and three 3-pointers. It’s early, but I was wrong about Allen, who might end up saving Dwyane Wade’s legs this season. Allen is averaging 29 minutes per game.

Grizzlies Silence Jazz

Marc Gasol went nuts with 22 points, eight boards, eight assists and three blocks on 6-of-11 shooting, and even made all 10 of his free throws in the win. Zach Randolph awoke with 16 points and 18 rebounds, while Quincy Pondexter should be ignored in most leagues despite scoring 15 points in the win.

Mo Williams had 17 points and eight assists and looks like one of the better value point guards in the league, and Gordon Hayward got on track with 19 points on 9-of-17 shooting as the Jazz fell to Memphis. Al Jefferson double-doubled with 11 points and 10 rebounds, but hasn’t lived up to the hype thus far. Now is a great time to go after him with a low offer. Derrick Favors should still be owned in fantasy leagues despite coming off the bench, and had 14 points, eight boards, three steals and a block last night.

There were eight games on the schedule Monday night and some dynamic performances, including an explosion from rookie Dion Waiters.

Knicks Beat Sixers

Knicks starter Ronnie Brewer somehow had a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three 3-pointers at small forward, but I’m not buying him at this point. Jason Kidd fell back to earth with just three points, four rebounds and two assists, and as his past owners know, you have to expect nights like these just as often as the good ones. J.R. Smith came through with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, a block and two 3-pointers, and is approaching must-own status, despite coming off the bench.

Evan Turner bounced back with 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists and could be available in your league. Just keep in mind his surge was related to the fact Jason Richardson was out with a sprained ankle. That also led to a big night for Dorell Wright, who started and had 14 points, nine boards, a block and a couple 3-pointers, despite hitting just 4-of-14 shots. Spencer Hawes has quickly fallen back to earth after a big opening night and had just two points, seven boards and zero blocks in 21 minutes. Maybe he was intimidated by Tyson Chandler, who wasn’t at full strength, or maybe he was in shock that he came off the bench behind Kwame Brown (who exited with a calf injury and didn’t return). Hawes has the potential for a big game every night, but has never been consistent enough to be a reliable starter. And things will get even more clouded when Andrew Bynum is back.

Wolves Down Nets

Nikola Pekovic bounced back with 21 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Andrei Kirilenko added 16 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, a steal, four blocks and a 3-pointer for the Wolves. He is really looking like the Kirilenko we all remember from four years ago, meaning he’s going to be one of the steals in fantasy if he stays healthy all year. J.J. Barea played through a head injury and had six points and six assists, Dante Cunningham double-doubled with 11 points and 11 rebounds (I’m ignoring him for now), and Chase Budinger finally showed up with 16 points, six rebounds and two 3-pointers on 7-of-10 shooting. He’s been highly disappointing after a great training camp and will not shoot it this well on most nights. I’m in the process of dropping Bud in several leagues, despite the nice night. And don’t look now, as the Wolves are 2-1 without Kevin Love.

The Nets got nice games out of Joe Johnson, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, while Kris Humphries’ swoon continued. He had just two points and four rebounds in 23 minutes while Reggie Evans and Andray Blatche ate up 35 minute off the bench. Humps has a total of seven points and nine rebounds through two games, so bench him until he figures things out or this becomes a full-blown trend. Gerald Wallace missed this one with a sprained ankle and remains day-to-day.

Suns Cooled By Heat

Jared Dudley played poorly for the fourth straight game and is being dropped in a ton of leagues right now. I might drop him too, but I still expect him to be putting up good numbers sooner than later. Shannon Brown had 18 points and three 3-pointers off the bench and would likely be the guy to replace Dudley in the starting five if the Suns make a move. Michael Beasley has been hit or miss early in the season and hit just 3-of-13 shots for seven points last night, but I’m holding onto him as long as the Suns still have some faith in him.

Mario Chalmers almost double-doubled with nine points, 11 assists, three steals and three 3-pointers, and Ray Allen came through again for the Heat with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and three 3-pointers. It’s early, but I was wrong about Allen, who might end up saving Dwyane Wade’s legs this season. Allen is averaging 29 minutes per game.

Grizzlies Silence Jazz

Marc Gasol went nuts with 22 points, eight boards, eight assists and three blocks on 6-of-11 shooting, and even made all 10 of his free throws in the win. Zach Randolph awoke with 16 points and 18 rebounds, while Quincy Pondexter should be ignored in most leagues despite scoring 15 points in the win.

Mo Williams had 17 points and eight assists and looks like one of the better value point guards in the league, and Gordon Hayward got on track with 19 points on 9-of-17 shooting as the Jazz fell to Memphis. Al Jefferson double-doubled with 11 points and 10 rebounds, but hasn’t lived up to the hype thus far. Now is a great time to go after him with a low offer. Derrick Favors should still be owned in fantasy leagues despite coming off the bench, and had 14 points, eight boards, three steals and a block last night.

Spurs Thump Pacers

The Spurs had one of those nights where everyone contributed, as DeJuan Blair double-doubled and Gary Neal hit 8-of-10 shots for 17 points in 20 minutes. I need to see them both do something consistently to think about grabbing them. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker (who struggled) are the only truly reliable Spurs, while Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green are worth owning in all leagues. Just expect for Gregg Popovich to mix things up on a weekly basis, keeping all of us on our toes. Manu Ginobili played just 17 minutes and Pop is going to baby him along all year it seems. I don’t own him anywhere, but if I did, I’d be making sure there isn’t a more reliable player on the wire.

Roy Hibbert hit just 1-of-7 shots for two points, five boards and a block last night, while Paul George underwhelmed with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Both of these guys are going to have a big season, especially with Danny Granger out indefinitely. Gerald Green moved to the bench behind Sam Young (ignore him) last night and scored just nine points in 26 minutes. People are dropping Green at a high rate right now, which might be justifiable given his slow start and demotion. But the minutes are still there and it’s only a matter of time before he figures it out and starts lighting it up. I’m holding him. A Granger update is reportedly coming soon out of Indy.

Mavs Bounce Blazers

O.J. Mayo went off again for 32 points and six 3-pointers on 12-of-18 shooting. We were all over him this season and he’s starting to love life without Dirk Nowitzki, as he’s averaging 31 points and 6.5 3-pointers over his last two games. His trade value probably won’t be higher than it is right now. Chris Kaman came off the bench for 16 points and six rebounds, while Elton Brand was quiet again with eight points, five boards and five fouls. I’m still holding Brand for the time being, but he’s not in any of my lineups. Darren Collison had 14 points and 13 assists, and is another strong value point guard you got very late in your draft. Shawn Marion left the game with a left knee strain and is day-to-day. Jae Crowder might become relevant if Marion is going to miss time.

Damian Lillard played like a rookie last night, hitting just 2-of-13 shots, but is still miles ahead in the race for Rookie of the Year. As usual, the Blazers’ starting five are all fantasy-worthy, while there’s just not much on the bench.

Kings Trump Warriors

DeMarcus Cousins finally came to life with 23 points, 15 boards, two steals and two blocks in the Kings win. Tyreke Evans was awful, hitting 1-of-9 shots for three points, while Isaiah Thomas was limited to 21 minutes and zero assists. Keith Smart likes Marcus Thornton and Aaron Brooks off his bench just as much as he likes his starting guards, and until he settles on a true rotation, the Kings back court is going to be impossible to figure out from night to night.

Klay Thompson’s head injury wasn’t a factor last night and he had 22 points, seven rebounds and three 3-pointers in one of his best games of the young season. Stephen Curry continues to play at full strength and is looking like a fantasy steal, but hit just 3-of-15 shots Monday and is shooting 32 percent on the season. Andrew Bogut graced us with 12 points and three boards in 19 minutes. If you are tired of waiting and want to cut Bogut, you are not alone. And after watching him wince after tweaking his ankle, it’s clear he’s going to be taking baby steps in his return. The much-hyped Jarrett Jack had just six points in 18 minutes, while Harrison Barnes started and had six points in 30 minutes. If you picked up Jack, give him a couple more games before panicking about this one.

Cavs Clip Clippers

Kyrie Irving got his dish on last night with 24 points, 10 assists and four 3-pointers, despite hitting just 8-of-23 points as the Cavs got a tough win at L.A. Dion Waiters is your Pickup of the Day after exploding for 28 points and seven 3-pointers on 10-of-17 shooting in 32 minutes. I had a waiver claim in for him in a couple leagues, but I’m pretty sure everyone else will be in there with me after this one. Waiters has shown enough early to be held in all leagues, even though he will be inconsistent for much of the season. Tyler Zeller had 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench, but Anderson Varejao (15 & 15) played 36 minutes and Tristan Thompson (one point, eight boards) played 32 minutes. As long as those guys are getting that kind of run, Zeller’s going to struggle for consistency, just like Thompson is doing. Zeller also left the game after taking a shot to the face and is day-to-day. I would rather own Thompson, but Zeller’s worth keeping an eye on.

DeAndre Jordan finally came through with 10 points, six boards and five blocks, while Blake Griffin posted his best line of the season with 20 points, six boards, five dimes, a steal and three blocked shots on 9-of-14 shooting. He even hit both of his free throws, but also committed five TOs in the loss. Griffin is dealing with a bursa sac in his elbow, but has been able to power through it. Jamal Crawford hit four more 3-pointers and scored 19 points off the bench, so make sure he’s not still available in your league.

Injury Notes

Steve Nash - expected to miss 7-10 days w/ broken fibula, but could be longer.

Steve "Dr. A" Alexander is the senior editor for the NBA for Rotoworld.com and a contributor to NBCSports.com. The 2014-15 NBA season marks his 13th year of covering fantasy hoops for Rotoworld. Follow him on Twitter - @Docktora.Email :Steve Alexander